Does Jesus have a place in your life?
While waiting in line at Disneyland, I watched people enjoying the activities. Suddenly, I thought that there was no room for Jesus in this busy environment. I saw attractions, theme parks and restaurants everywhere. Characters like Mickey Mouse and Sleeping Beauty were present, but Jesus was nowhere to be found.
In the days before Jesus' birth, Joseph and Mary travelled along dusty roads to Bethlehem for the census. Joseph looked for accommodation there, but all the places were taken: "Mary gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in swaddling clothes and laid him in a manger; for there was no room for them in the inn" (Luke 2,7).
Because there was no room for them, Jesus Christ was probably born in a stable. He spent his first hours not in a soft bed, but in a hard manger. When the Creator entered into his creation, he was rejected by his creatures. From the beginning, the world he had created had no place for him: "He was in the world, and the world was made through him; and the world did not know him. He came to his own, and his own did not receive him" (John 1:14). 1,10-11).
There was no room for the Saviour of the world. No room for the one who was to redeem every person from his sins. The one who was to be called King was placed between donkeys and sheep. Later, Jesus accused the Jews of his time of having no room for his words: "I know that you are Abraham's descendants, but you seek to kill me, because my word has no place in you" (John 1:14). 8,37).
Since then, the world has been pushing Jesus out. He has been pushed out of the churches and replaced by rituals and legalism. He has been banned from schools and replaced by evolution and humanism. He has also been pushed out of Christmas. Christmas has increasingly become a consumer festival, which is about personal desires, family, food, decorations and gifts. Unfortunately, it is no longer about the birth of the Son of God into our world. Mercifully, he still has a place in the manger.
Our lives as Christians are so busy that we sometimes push Him out of our daily lives. We try to squeeze Him in between work, shopping, internet and housework. Sometimes there is simply no room for Him. How can we change that? There is no easy formula for it. Making room for Jesus in our lives is a matter of the heart. The Gospel of Matthew says: "For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also" (Matthew 1:14). 6,21). If Jesus is my treasure, then he has my heart and I don't have to make room for him. There won't be room for anything else. What about you? Do you have room in your heart for Jesus? Are you ready to accept him into your heart and life by faith and give him the leadership of your life?
Jesus would like to have a place in our lives, but he doesn't force himself on us. He isn't looking for the general public, but for individuals who want to trust in him. His goal is to save people from their lostness and then to put them first in their lives - and not just at Christmas.
by Tammy Tkach
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